Your new Mooroolbark Station

The dangerous and congested level crossings at Manchester Road, Mooroolbark and Maroondah Highway, Lilydale are gone and two new elevated stations built, with new open space areas, bus interchanges and safer walking and cycling connections.

We also built a new multi-deck car park at Mooroolbark Station, which contributes to doubling car parking to 900 spaces, making it easier for commuters to find a park.

Want to delve deeper into the Mooroolbark Station project?

View the Mooroolbark Station Precinct brochure (see Download on this page) for an interactive reading experience. Scattered throughout the brochure are markers to give you an interactive look at the project. All you need is your device’s camera. First, scan the QR code on the front page of the brochure. Then, find the interactive icon and hold your camera over the image.

Mooroolbark Station Precinct

Community open space

The Mooroolbark Station precinct includes new open space for the community to enjoy for years to come.

Early in the project, we sought feedback on what you wanted the new open spaces to look like. Community feedback showed overwhelming support for an informal gathering space. The open space connects to the Brushy Creek Trail and the pedestrian crossing through to the station precinct.

We worked with council to provide a smooth surface on the retaining wall so that artwork can be applied to further activate the space.

We’ve incorporated art-friendly spaces into the finished stations.

Reducing waste through re-use

We’re committed to reducing waste on our level crossing removal projects.

As part of this commitment, we’ve donated 2258 metres of track and 432 sleepers to the Yarra Valley Railway for use on their tourist network. Along with part of the former Mooroolbark Station, these donations help this volunteer group to improve and develop their network for the 20,000 visitors they welcome each year.

We also donated wood and mulch to Healesville Sanctuary, Werribee Open Range Zoo, local woodworking artists and local schools, reducing waste from necessary vegetation removal.

Showcasing Mooroolbark's history

You told us that the history of your local area was important to you, so we’ve found ways to reference this history in the finished station.

There will be a graphic artwork on the wall behind the bus bays at Mooroolbark Station, showcasing the history of the area.

A green legacy

There are over 60,000 plants, shrubs and grasses being planted across both Mooroolbark and Lilydale.

Local social enterprise Yarra View Nursery grew and nurtured the plants ready for the Aboriginal-owned and operated business, Wamarra, to plant.

The selection of plants creates an open, green feel that links to the rural history at Mooroolbark and blends well with the other elements of the station design, such as Victorian-quarried sandstone and Corten steel. Their locations have been chosen to make sure tree branches stay clear of the rail corridor, keep sightlines open to discourage antisocial behaviour and create a safe, open atmosphere around the stations.

Building for a sustainable future

Building sustainable infrastructure is a big part of our projects.

The new Mooroolbark Station is registered for a Green Star rating and is targeting a 5 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. The new station reduces water usage by 70 per cent through rainwater harvesting on site. It also gets 30 per cent of its total energy from renewable electricity sources. The precinct encourages walking and cycling, and the landscaping encourages biodiversity.

The station's history

The former Mooroolbark Station was built in 1887, when Mooroolbark was still a rural town on the outskirts of Melbourne.

The station has seen many changes over time, with only a small portion of the original building remaining. Working with Box Hill Institute and the Yarra Valley Railway, we’ve relocated this original portion of the building to the institute’s Lilydale campus. It will be rebuilt over the next two years, helping students to learn important construction skills. Once complete, it will be moved to the Yarra Valley Railway, where it will start its new life as Tarrawarra Station.

A portion of the original building will undergo a two year refurbishment program, involving around 60 students.

Thank you, Mooroolbark

Thank you for your patience as we completed these important infrastructure works in your area.

More than 53,000 vehicles travelled through the Manchester Road and Maroondah Highway level crossings each day, where the boom gates were down for up to a quarter of the morning peak.

There has been one collision and five near misses across these two sites in the past 10 years. Early works started in May 2020, the level crossings were removed in November 2021 and the project will be fully completed in 2022.

Thanks for being a part of the Manchester Road Level Crossing Removal Project.

Project timeline

Day one to done

August 2019

• We release initial concept designs for community feedback

April 2020

• The site is established and early works begin

December 2020

• We release the final designs and start major construction

May 2021

• The local community gathers to see massive concrete beams lifted into place over Manchester Road

July 2021

• We relocate part of the existing Mooroolbark Station to the Lilydale campus of Box Hill Institute for refurbishment

September to November 2021

• We undertake a massive 24/7 construction blitz

November 2021

• The Manchester Road level crossing is gone and the new Mooroolbark Station opens

November 2021 to mid 2022

• We continue to work on the multi-deck car park, station precinct finishes and landscaping

Project complete